Nearby Words
| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | renounce |
| Synonyms: | abstain, decline, forbear, forgo, give up, refrain, reject |
| Main Entry: | abstain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hold back from doing |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abnegate, avoid, cease, constrain, curb, decline, deny oneself, do without, eschew, evade, fast, fence-sit, forbear, forgo, give the go by, give up, go on the wagon, keep from, pass, pass up, quit, refrain, refuse, renounce, shun, sit on one's hands, sit on the fence, sit out, spurn, starve, stop, take the cure, take the pledge, withhold |
| Antonyms: | indulge, use |
| Main Entry: | deny |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disagree, renounce, decline |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abnegate, ban, begrudge, call on, contradict, contravene, controvert, curb, disacknowledge, disallow, disavow, disbelieve, discard, disclaim, discredit, disown, disprove, doubt, enjoin from, eschew, exclude, forbid, forgo, forsake, gainsay, hold back, keep back, negate, negative, not buy, nullify, oppose, rebuff, rebut, recant, refuse, refute, reject, repudiate, restrain, revoke, sacrifice, say no to, spurn, taboo, take exception to, turn down, turn thumbs down, veto, withhold |
| Notes: | deny means to declare untrue or refuse to accept or believe or to refuse to recognize or acknowledge; refute means to prove to be false, wrong, or incorrect |
| Antonyms: | accede, acknowledge, admit, affirm, agree, allow, concede, confess, corroborate, go along, grant |
| Main Entry: | disclaim |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deny |
| Synonyms: | abandon, abjure, abnegate, belittle, contradict, contravene, criticize, decline, deprecate, disacknowledge, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, discard, disown, disparage, divorce oneself from, forswear, gainsay, minimize, negate, recant, refuse, reject, renounce, repudiate, retract, revoke, spurn, traverse, turn back on, wash hands of |
| Antonyms: | accept, acknowledge, admit, allow, claim, own |
| Main Entry: | disown |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | refuse to acknowledge |
| Synonyms: | abandon, abjure, abnegate, cast off, deny, disacknowledge, disallow, disavow, discard, disclaim, divorce oneself from, refuse to recognize, reject, renounce, repudiate, retract |
| Antonyms: | accept, acknowledge, allow, avow, claim |
| Main Entry: | recant |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | take back something said |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abnegate, abrogate, annul, apostatize, back down, back off, back out, backtrack, call back, cancel, contradict, countermand, deny, dial back, disavow, disclaim, disown, eat one's words, forswear, go back on one's word, nullify, recall, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, rescind, retract, revoke, take back, unsay, void, weasel out, welsh, withdraw, worm out of |
| Notes: | recant means to formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, while retract means to take back or to draw back or in |
| Antonyms: | confirm, emphasize, recapitulate |
| Main Entry: | refute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | prove false; discredit |
| Synonyms: | abnegate, argue against, blow sky high, break, burn, burn down, cancel, cancel out, confute, contend, contradict, contravene, convict, counter, crush, debate, demolish, disclaim, disconfirm, dispose of, disprove, dispute, evert, explode, expose, gainsay, give the lie to, give thumbs down to, invalidate, negate, oppose, overthrow, parry, quash, rebut, reply to, repudiate, shoot down, shoot full of holes, show up, silence, squelch, take a stand against, tear down, top* |
| Notes: | deny means to declare untrue or refuse to accept or believe or to refuse to recognize or acknowledge; refute means to prove to be false, wrong, or incorrect to rebut a statement is to offer clear evidence or a reasoned argument against it; to refute a statement is to prove it wrong (neither means 'contradict' or 'deny') refute means 'to show conclusively to be false or illogical' and applies primarily to assertions or arguments; confute means 'to prove wrong' and applies primarily to the person or agency making the assertion or argument |
| Antonyms: | endorse, prove, ratify, sanction, support |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | relinquish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give up, let go |
| Synonyms: | abandon, abdicate, abnegate, back down, cast, cast off, cede, cut loose, desert, discard, ditch*, drop, drop like hot potato, drop out, dump*, forbear, forgo, forsake, forswear, hand over, kick, kiss good-bye, lay aside, leave, opt out, quit, quit cold turkey, release, renounce, repudiate, resign, retire from, sacrifice, shed, stand down, surrender, swear off, take the oath, take the pledge, vacate, waive, withdraw, yield |
| Antonyms: | hold, keep, take |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | renounce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abandon, reject |
| Synonyms: | abdicate, abjure, abnegate, abstain from, apostacize, arrogate, cast off, decline, defect, demit, deny, desert, disavow, discard, disclaim, disown, divorce oneself from, drop out, dump*, eschew, forgo, forsake, forswear, give up, leave flat, leave off, opt out, quit, rat, recant, relinquish, repudiate, resign, sell out, spurn, swear off, take the pledge, tergiversate, tergiverse, throw off, throw over, toss over, turn, waive, walk out on, wash hands of |
| Notes: | renounce often equals abjure but may carry the meaning of disclaim or disown and may imply a sacrifice for a greater end |
| Antonyms: | allow, approve, condone |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
